Other 1st round games.... DISCUSSION THREAD

[kchoya]

honyasaxa said:

bigdog said:

Brian Butch has been cleared to play for Wisconsin this afternoon. Not sure how much time he'll get in this round, but the addition should put to the test Badgers fans' prevailing theory that Butch's absence is the main explanation for their somewhat mediocre play for the last few weeks.

REALLY? This has got to seem unbelievable for anyone who saw that dislocation/injury occur. Truly ugly -- Butch went up for a block, collided with a teammate in midair and fell hard to the ground. He tried to cushion the would-be blow to his tailbone by putting his hands out, but his right arm buckled, and you could see his elbow joint burst six inches out of place.

I hear something similar happened in the Flu v. Mich. St. game. I also remember some NBA player's knee doing the same thing about two weeks ago.

If Butch is back, Wisco better put away the excuses for the first two rounds. Doesn't really matter beyond that, though. They'll go down to ND or Oregon in the Sweet 16.

Apparently there's room for only one player to be sidelined by a gruesome elbow injury at a time. With MSU's Idong Ibok going down yesterday, Butch comes off the sideline to take his place. Oh yeah, that NBA injury, that was Shaun Livingston of the Clippers.

---

Don't view these videos if you've just eaten:

Brian Butch:
Shaun Livingston:
Idong Ibok:

[CO_Hoya]

I'm not watching the game, but is ND getting hosed by the refs?

Fouls in the 2nd half are currently 14-4, ND

[JohnJacquesLayup]

Winthrop choking away the lead. Only up 3 now with 4 minutes to play. That's quite an ND run so far . . .

[Big Dog]

finally, in this tournament of blowouts, some real games have broken out!!

[Big Dog]

Looks like Russell Carter left his three point shot in New York. 0 for 6 today, and it will cost the Irish.

Big East a wimpy 3-2 now. If Nova loses to Kentucky, yeesh.

[HoyaLingus]

Coach of the year in the BE, my butt.

[HoyaSinceBirth]

stupid ND oh well had them losing to oregon anyway?
Anyone watching the Tennesse Long Beach game? I just switched to it online now that i saw the score Tenn had over 100 pts with 6 still left to play?! any defense beign played? it's 107- 82 with four minutes to play?!

[Boz]

Georgia Tech? Notre Dame?

Geez, good thing I didn't listen to Big Dog.

Er-nie Kent! Er-nie Kent! ;D ;D

Did I hear correctly yesterday that Corpus Christi is ahead of Georgetown and behind only Florida for top team FG% in the country?

No wonder Wisconsin is having problems. Big 10? Huh...that must refer to how many points teams in that conference score in a half.

[Big Dog]

I don't remember espousing the virtue of Georgia Tech--especially since I picked UNLV to win. I do remember thinking ND would survive, though that would have come after I disagreed with so many who were talking about how great the Big East is and how everybody got screwed.

We'll see about Ernie's Ducks.

[Boz]

I was just kidding. On the first page of the thread you recommended Wisconsin, ND or Ga. Tech. as alternatives to picking Oregon to upset Florida.

I didn't really think you were touting them as world beaters. Just that you didn't like Oregon.

Knowing Florida's luck, everyone will go down & give them a cakewalk into Atlanta. It always happens in one region.

(don't tell me Florida isn't lucky either, hifi - "corey brewer falling on his ass & throwing up a prayer" is my answer to that one)

[Update: Redhawks currently pitching a shutout...thanks a LOT, Ernie!]

[Big Dog]

boz1 said:

I was just kidding. On the first page of the thread you recommended Wisconsin, ND or Ga. Tech. as alternatives to picking Oregon to upset Florida.

I didn't really think you were touting them as world beaters. Just that you didn't like Oregon.

Knowing Florida's luck, everyone will go down & give them a cakewalk into Atlanta. It always happens in one region.

(don't tell me Florida isn't lucky either, hifi - "corey brewer falling on his ass & throwing up a prayer" is my answer to that one)

[Update: Redhawks currently pitching a shutout...thanks a LOT, Ernie!]

Good call. I'd forgotten about that thread. Can you imagine if Wisconsin somehow lost and Oregon dropped one here? Just cancel the rest of the Midwest bracket and fly the Gators to Atlanta.

[TC]

Worst player I've seen so far: Lon Kruger's kid.

Totally inept on defense. Reminded me of Little League games where the coach's kid hit lead off even when everyone knew he was the 8th best hitter on the team.

[alleninxis]

don't judge him off today, he can play

[Hoya50]

can the be recind brey's coach of the year designation? jeez. winthrop's up 20 and brey finally realizes that his team should start playing d and then nd gets back into the game. if they played that way earlier, maybe they would have won. numnuts.

[HoyaLawya]

rdf said:

Gonzaga was bad--that game could've been won but their Big guy #31 missed at LEAST 5/6 layups from less then 2 feet. He sucked. If the kid suspended played--those are hoops and that is a game--but the most overrated Mid Major player and yes Gonzaga is Mid Major--is Derek Raivio--have been hearing for years how great he is--he is marginal--at best. Good bye and good riddance. Few should split while the name is hot because that program has leveled off and with the NBA rule--more big time programs will have deeper pool of talent and less upsets/room for Mid Majors--as it should be. You guys might not like it but I want to see the BEST TEAMS advance and play for it all--if that means George Mason is one of the best teams--which last year they were--they earn it. If not--then see you--and Gonzaga was not very good at all--but neither was Stanford, Marquette today sucked, Penn was pig awful, and if they had a pulse, they give A&M a loss or possession game.

The Zags beat themselves last night and I had this gut feeling this would be a one-and-done year for them.

The Spokie-locals were calling this a 10-loss season from LAST FALL because the team had a lot of holes with Morrison and Batista (especially) moving on. Morrison's scoring was something that could be made up for by two players, but Batista as a stopper down low and soft touch around the basket was the essential cog. Didn't get the media attention that AMMO the scorer did, but no JP, the Zags never would have gotten very far last year.

This year's team was in a gap year of talent. Everybody knew it. Untested JC guy named Kuso coming on board made folks nervous and for what he adds defensively, he's just not like having JP offensively. Even with Josh Heytvelt, they were going to rely on youth and some smoke and mirrors. The win over UNC in the Pre-Season NIT semi-finals made everybody overly-optimistic (the new guard Bouldin was winning raves as one of the best five newcomers in the country). Then the humiliating game at Virginia exposed all the youth. Then Josh gets busted. Effectively, the handwriting was on the wall from that point on. Rag-tag Zags finished out the WCC schedule and tourney.

They used up the gas in their tank just getting the autobid wrapped up at the WCC tournament since Santa Clara and not the Zags was the lone regular season champion up until the very last night of regular games played. (And SCU stubbed its toe.)

I doubt Few moves on. Few is seeming to bump up against a glass ceiling and in a year like last year, where talent was not an issue, it may be raising questions about whether he's got what it takes to break through to the Final Four level of coaching ability.

The new recruits are a pretty promising bunch. While the wheel fell off the bus with 'ShroomGate and Heytvelt/Davis going off on an idiotic lark, I'd have to say that my own expectations for this team were very cautious from the fall, and very nervous after the loss at Virginia even with JH still there. I might be an alum and a fan of the "other GU" but I am not freakin' lunatic irrational.

Proof positive: My lone bracket saw the West's GU not getting out of the West, but the "original GU" as NC.

I still believe it's accurate until proven wrong conclusively. ;D

And let's hope I'm not proven wrong.

BELIEVE! Because I sure do.

Hoya Saxa!

P.S. Go VCU !!! No such thing as a bad loss for Duke. Every loss can only be good.

P.P.S. Also, Go WINTHROP!!!! Just loved watching that game vs. the Irish. ;D The WU Eagles have been good for awhile and under-recognized. Started following them a couple years ago. Taking Wisconsin to OT on their home court earlier in this season proved that WU was the real deal once again and potentially dangerous.

[TigerHoya]

FSU defeats Mich. 87-66 in the 2nd round of the NIT.

[PDRHoya99]

Why can't the sports guy realize that this is the kinda stuff people like him for, and not pretending to know something about sports.

12:13: This seems like a good time to mention that Notre Dame coach Mike Brey looks like he should be paying a cover at the Bada Bing right now.

[TC]

What a choke by Illinois. Terrible reffing in that game, but they did absolutely nothing to help themselves down the stretch.

[RDF]

Why don't teams pressure Big 10 teams more? Illinois lost a game because they couldn't handle it. Wisconsin was getting their ass handed to them due to pressure and then it was pulled off. Michigan State has 2 guards on their roster. Purdue is sloppy with ball, only team I wouldn't pressure is Ohio State due to having multiple guys who can handle and Conley's quickness.

I hate the Big 10 and now going to have to hear how damn great it is and worse--stuck with Big 10 games during tournament now--YUCK!

[Big Dog]

rdf said:

Why don't teams pressure Big 10 teams more? Illinois lost a game because they couldn't handle it. Wisconsin was getting their ass handed to them due to pressure and then it was pulled off. Michigan State has 2 guards on their roster. Purdue is sloppy with ball, only team I wouldn't pressure is Ohio State due to having multiple guys who can handle and Conley's quickness.

I hate the Big 10 and now going to have to hear how damn great it is and worse--stuck with Big 10 games during tournament now--YUCK!

You have to give them some credit, RDF. They only had two teams seeded above the number 7 spot and they should frankly be undefeated in tournament play. I hate the style as much as you do, but I never considered picking Purdue or Illinois to win simply because I thought they were horrible teams. They're much more impressive than the Pac 10, Big 12, and I hate to say it (especially depending on what Nova does) the Big East.

Maybe this is the time to point out that Lute Olsen hasn't been getting much done lately.